Kashmir Put On High Alert

25 March 2013Deccan HeraldZulfikar Majid

Srinagar: Security personnel in the Valley have been put on high alert in the wake of recent attacks on security forces in Srinagar and the Sopore town of north Kashmir. Sources told Deccan Herald that the high alert was an upshot of intelligence inputs on possible militant attacks in the Civil Lines area here. “Security agencies have inputs that a group of four militants-Chota Hurrira and Abu Saad from Pakistan, Shoukat Ahmad of Lawaypora, Srinagar and Hilal Molvi of Palhalan-are planning to attack the Civil Lines area in Srinagar. Hurrira and Saad came under the security radar after the fidayeen attack on a CRPF camp in Bemina on March 13. “Police suspect that these four militants carried out an attack on a BSFconvoy at Chanpora on the outskirts of Srinagar on March 20, in which one BSF personnel was killed and two injured,” sources said. A senior police officer revealed that there were inputs about the presence of these militants in and around Srinagar city since the Bemina attack. “Several operations were launched against them in north of Srinagar but they could not be traced,” he said. Security has been tightened around vital installations, security camps and sensitive places in Srinagar which could be possibly targeted by the fidayeen, he added. Surge in movement Sources said the movement of militants across Kashmir has surged in the past two weeks. “There is no specific target but the security forces are the possible targets,” sources said. The militants have ample manpower, weapons and money to carry out more attacks. “Of late, several militant modules have been activated across Kashmir and they are planning strikes. These modules are working independently and are being handled by Kashmiri individuals. In each module, there are two Pakistani militants with a Kashmiri handler,” they added. Meanwhile, the police and the CRPF have erected check points across Srinagar city to avert such attacks. Even vehicles entering Srinagar, especially those from Sopore and Kupwara, are being checked. Besides, security forces have been conducting surprise checks on vehicles and frisking passengers in the city. The police are also monitoring CCTVfootage from the Civil Lines area to tap suspicious movement of people and vehicles. Army guns down intruder on LoC Army on Monday claimed to have foiled an infiltration bid by killing an intruder on Line of Control (LoC) in the forward area of Naoshera sector in Jammu division, reports DHNS from Srinagar. Jammu-based Defence PRO, Col AK Patala, said the intruder was eliminated by Army troops deployed in the general area Pokhra, in Naoshera sector. “Suspicious movement of an intruder was detected in the general area Pokhra, at around 4 pm on Sunday. On being challenged, the intruder immediately jumped into a stream) and tried to flee,” he said. However, Col Patala said Army opened fire on the intruder and the operation continued for a few hours.